Flux designed the courtyard garden at the Houthavens in Amsterdam, in collaboration with Shift architecture. The Houthavens, once the bustling heart of the timber industry, have been transforming in recent years into a modern and sustainable residential and commercial district. In this innovative urban area, the courtyard garden serves as a green oasis, a place where residents and visitors can relax, meet, and unwind.
The robust, natural vegetation of the courtyard garden brings vitality and contributes to greater biodiversity. Various seating areas invite people to meet and relax, while also providing outdoor workspaces. The vegetation gradually transitions into semi-paved surfaces and, in some places, grows alongside stepping stones, creating a natural and dynamic system.
Rainwater is collected in the courtyard garden, trees provide shade for cooling, and the variety of vegetation attracts birds and insects. This creates a livable and sustainable environment in which architecture and landscape reinforce each other. Commissioned by Synchroon and in collaboration with Shift architecture urbanism.
Climate-Resilient Weteringen in the Land of Maas and Waal
Flux is working on a vision document and feasibility study for the Oude Wetering and the Nieuwe Wetering: two landscape structures that form the heart of the Land van Maas en Waal. The assignment is part of the Groene Mantel regional process, in which governments and partners are collaborating on a single, coherent green-blue framework for the region.
The goal of the study is to establish a spatial foundation for the realization of climate-resilient waterways and their surrounding zones. Water safety, ecology, recreation, and agriculture are all integrally considered in this process.
Through this research, we are working toward waterways that function not only as water carriers but as complete landscape systems that strengthen the region in the long term.
Bridge and decking Erasmusveld The Hague completed
The footbridge and decking in the Proeftuin Erasmusveld in The Hague have been completed. The new wooden bridge connects the northern part of the park with the southern part of the Proeftuin, a sustainable residential area alongside the ecological zone. The wooden decking is situated next to the water garden. Here, aquatic plants filter the water, creating a valuable habitat for fish and birds.
Flux has been involved in the Proeftuin Erasmusveld since winning the tender in 2018. Flux worked on, among other things, the northern section of the park, the landscape and the inner deck of the Leyhof residential building, which have now been completed. The bridge and decking were commissioned by Gemeente Den Haag, in collaboration with Waalpartners, and constructed by Aannemersbedrijf Damsteegt B.V Waterwerken.
Waterfrontpark Den Haag
Following a selection process, Flux has been chosen as the landscape architect for the Waterfront Park in The Hague. Together with Bureau Stadsnatuur, SteenhuisMeurs and LITH Advies, Flux is developing a vision, preliminary design and development strategy for this new city park in the Binckhorst. The park will be a fully-fledged new city park that provides a counterbalance to the urban densification of the Binckhorst and the CID. An active waterfront along both sides of the Trekvliet and the integration of cultural-historical elements form the core of the design. With a robust concept and clear design principles, the Waterfront Park is gradually evolving into a substantial city park where people and nature come together. Commissioned by Gemeente Den Haag.
Presentation of the Eindhoven Green Vision at TU Delft
Last week, Tom van Heeswijk presented the Eindhoven Green Vision to master’s students at TU Delft. Tom demonstrated how Flux is working towards a future-proof, climate-resilient city centre, with a coherent green infrastructure as the foundation for a liveable and healthy city.
Using ambition maps, green wedges and new typologies for public space, it became clear how Eindhoven can both densify and green its urban fabric. The transformation of Wilhelminaplein, from a stone-paved traffic hub to a green city square, illustrated how spatial quality, climate adaptation and social dynamics come together in a single integrated vision.
Preliminary design for Veur-Lent presented
Flux is working on a landscape design for the Nijmegen city island of Veur-Lent. Over the coming years, the current open grassland will be transformed into a layered river park, where differences in elevation, natural vegetation and a dense network of paths will provide space for ecology, recreation and social interaction.
After a broad city survey, the municipality of Nijmegen opted for a green development of the island. Together with residents, entrepreneurs and nature organisations, a programme of requirements was drawn up, which Flux has now translated into a preliminary sketch design. Strengthening the open space, making the river dynamics tangible and developing robust green structures form the core of this perspective.
The design focuses on the area between the Het Bastion water sports centre and the Lentloper. Excavating parts of the area will create a natural transition to the Spiegelwaal. New paths, rugged bank vegetation and open spaces will create a varied and socially safe landscape. Around Het Bastion, there will be space for sports and games, in further coordination with the surrounding area.
Veur-Lent will thus grow into a park with character: a green lung for Nijmegen, where river, landscape and city reinforce each other. In the coming years, the municipality will work towards a provisional and final design; realisation is expected to start in 2028. Commissioned by the Municipality of Nijmegen.
Extreme heat, drought, and flooding call for a radical greening of Rotterdam's city center. By approaching mobility differently, the wide city boulevards from Van Traa's Basic Plan can play a key role in the transition to a green, cool, and healthy city. The Goudsesingel is leading the way in this regard: its transformation into a linear sponge park provides space for water storage, cooling, biodiversity, and urban programming.
In this design research Flux sketches a future perspective for the Goudsesingel, in which a stony street is transformed into a sponge park. This will collect rainwater, reduce heat stress, and contribute to a healthy living environment. The design consists of a spatial plan and a transition path that identifies the necessary steps towards realization.
Part of the Rotterdams WeerWoord project, commissioned by the Municipality of Rotterdam and in collaboration with Rebel
Commissioned by ProRail and in collaboration with Bureau Spoorbouwmeester, Flux is researching the possibilities for a more sustainable design of train platforms. Flux is investigating a greener and more climate-resilient design of train platforms and a more sustainable and smarter use of materials. The designs and innovations that emerge from the research will be developed in a number of pilot projects.
Final symposium and manifesto Stadsflora
On 29 January, Flux organised the final symposium of the design research project Stadsflora, a design research into future-proof planting strategies in the city. Two years ago, Flux launched the Stadsflora research project and sought collaboration with an advisory board group and various cities in which diverse cases were worked on.
The final symposium featured presentations of the research cases, followed by presentations on a natural approach to the design of a planting plan (by Ronald Buiting) and on possibilities for the natural management of urban planting (by Frank Verhagen).
As a common thread running through all the research cases, Flux drew up the Stadsflora Manifesto with the 10 most important lessons from the Stadsflora design research. The manifesto offers tools and principles for a new approach to planting in the city. Research questions about the robustness of planting, dealing with changing climate conditions and design principles for greening in conjunction with affordable management are compactly woven into a single document in this manifesto.
The jury for the Golden Pyramid national award has been announced! The jury consists of members from various disciplines, coming from a range of fields related to the design of (public) spaces, but also from other areas. The Golden Pyramid is the biennial national award for inspiring commissioning and puts the spotlight on clients who make a difference.
The Pyramid has been awarded since 2003, with the Chief Government Architect chairing the jury.